


Moon Over Silverglade

by Burgie



Series: SSO Medieval AU [24]
Category: Star Stable Online
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-22
Updated: 2017-09-22
Packaged: 2019-01-03 22:20:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12155979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burgie/pseuds/Burgie
Summary: Sir Justin comes into a terrible fate. Doesn't have to be canon unless Z wants it to be, this was mostly just for fun. Zelda belongs to ZDusk and Jack belongs to SSO-Jack-Wolfwatcher.





	Moon Over Silverglade

In the dead of night, Maxy's hoofsteps were loud despite the pine needles beneath them. Sir Justin Moorland was not afraid, though. Even as the howling of the wolves he was sent to hunt sent chills down his spine. He and his knights had been sent to investigate a wolf pack that was far more vicious than any other that had ever been seen. Tales were told around campfires of wolves that peeled themselves from the shadows and lunged at travellers with eyes that gleamed like hellfire, and fangs so sharp that they could tear a man in two. Of course, Justin knew better than to put stock in such rumours, but he hadn't been made a knight for just his strength alone. Justin knew when to believe and when to discard such notions, and he believed in the tales enough to be cautious.

Of course, many of Justin's men had fled at the sound of the wolves. Cowards, all of them. Why had they joined the guard if they ran at the threat of a few wolves? Granted, these were extremely dangerous wolves, but they were still just wolves. They would still fall at his blade.

A twig cracked, and Justin clicked his tongue and chastised Maxy for a careless misstep. He did not see the large, hairy shape detach from the shadows. He felt only pain as the ground rushed up to meet him.

Justin awoke in the infirmary, his blood feeling as though it had been replaced by fire. He cried out, but then there was a small, earthenware bowl placed to his lips.

"Drink," a blessedly familiar voice urged him, and Justin did as his betrothed had requested. The water was very good over his parched lips and running down his throat. Justin swallowed gratefully until the water was all gone, and then Zelda pulled the bowl away and dabbed at his lips with a linen cloth.

"M-my lady," said Justin, and then cried out in pain. His skin prickled, but he was sure that it was just from how much he was sweating. Surely, he had a fever. He certainly felt as though a furnace had been lit underneath his skin.

"Shh," Zelda soothed him, laying a wet cloth on his forehead. Justin sighed in relief, glad for the cool cloth.

"I was attacked," said Justin.

"I know," said Zelda, wetting another cloth. This one was larger, like a bath towel, and Justin shivered slightly as Zelda laid it over his bare body. He was in too much pain to be modest right now, but he still felt embarrassed. At least Zelda was his betrothed.

"The wolves," said Justin. "They were... far more dangerous than I could have ever anticipated. My men were afraid so I went alone, but..."

"The guards found you in the forest," said Zelda. Her voice was oddly emotionless, but Justin couldn't see her face. "You... you were lying so still on the ground, and there was blood everywhere, and your throat should've been ripped out judging by all the blood, but there is only a small wound there. A bite mark. The healer said that you are extremely lucky, but the wound is infected." Her voice had gotten tighter and tighter as she spoke, and Justin felt a lump in his throat.

"It is okay, my love," said Justin. "I am here. I am alright."

"An infection could kill you," said Zelda, finally looking at him, and Justin's heart twisted at the tears in her eyes, and the way her pretty face was red with emotion. Zelda leaned down over him at last, kissing his lips and holding him tightly. Justin returned the kiss, wishing that he could wrap his arms around her, but his entire body ached too much.

Justin stayed in the infirmary for over a week, and the fever slowly abated. The pain lessened somewhat too, but Justin was still bedridden. He tried to get up and move around, but Zelda forbade him.

The days and nights passed in this manner, and Justin missed being able to do his knightly duties, but Zelda absolutely forbade it.

"You're still recovering," she'd tell him gently when he suggested it. "If you go out on patrol like this, you'll surely faint in your saddle or worsen your injury." For his bite wound had not healed, despite the best efforts of the healer.

Zelda awoke one morning to ripped sheets and tattered curtains fluttering in the breeze. She got out of bed, confused, and was only confused further when she stepped on something strange. It felt like sand, and, when she lifted her foot, she was dismayed to discover that the stone floor had large gouges in it, as though a dragon or some other great wyrm had been in here. But surely, if that had been the case, she would not have been left alive. But perhaps Justin had been taken? If he was not here...

"Has anyone seen Sir Justin?" Zelda called, walking down the stairs barefoot. All of the servants sadly shook their heads, and Zelda's worry only grew. Frantic now, Zelda quickly threw on riding clothes and made for the stables without even stopping to eat breakfast.

"Lady Zelda, I was just coming to speak with you," said Felicity, the master of horse for Firgrove. She looked worried, her face pale and her hair messier than usual.

"What is it?" asked Zelda, unsure how much more worry she could take. "Was Phantom hurt?"

"No, but the horses were very spooked last night," said Felicity. "I am surprised that the noise did not wake you. They were making such an awful racket, and poor Maxy has claw marks on his stall door." Zelda's heart almost stopped. If Maxy was here and Justin wasn't, then Justin had to have been taken. Her vision grayed, and Zelda swayed. Fortunately, Felicity was there to catch her.

When Zelda awoke from her faint, she knew precisely what she had to do.

"Send a message to Ydris the magician," said Zelda. "And Duke Jack Wofwatcher as well, they may be able to assist us."

The message was sent, and Ydris and Jack arrived a few moments later. Most people would believe that the two had simply been lucky enough to be in the area, but Zelda knew better. She knew that they had teleported to a spot just outside the village, hidden from view of the guards or patrols, and then walked the rest of the distance.

"Lady Zelda," said Ydris, bowing. But Duke Jack knew to forget any such pleasantries when Zelda's lips and nails had been bitten this much.

"What is it, Z?" asked Jack.

"Justin is missing," said Zelda, the tears flowing freely as she said those words. Her breath hitched. "He was here last night, but I woke up this morning and he was gone. Maxy is gone, too."

"Oh no, Z," said Jack, hugging her. Zelda clung to her friend, crying into his shoulder.

"He was already injured," Zelda whimpered. "And now I fear for his life."

"Don't worry, Ydris will find him," said Jack. He looked at his boyfriend, and Ydris closed his eyes and concentrated.

"Hmm," Ydris hummed thoughtfully. His brow furrowed. "Odd."

"What is it? What did you find?" asked Zelda, grabbing ahold of the front of Ydris' shirt. "Tell me, Ydris!"

"I will have to do some further research," said Ydris. "And I'll need you to tell me all you can about these wolves that have been plaguing Firgrove as of late."

"Do you think that the wolves are behind this too?" asked Zelda, a hand covering her mouth as she paled.

"In a fashion, yes," said Ydris. "But I must research."

"Please keep me up to date on your findings," said Zelda.

The day crept by agonisingly slowly. Zelda took turns either pacing or sitting in one spot, staring out the window and hoping that Justin would appear. It was unlike him to simply disappear like that.

The next morning brought no news of Justin, but a farmer's sheep was killed. That wasn't unusual around Firgrove, what with all the wolves. It just made Zelda worry more. She gave the farmer compensation for his lost sheep, because that was what she always did, but otherwise she retired to her chambers.

That night, Zelda rode out of Firgrove on Phantom's back. At the same moment, Ydris was frantically making notes and comparing them.

"No," Ydris whispered.

"What's wrong?" asked Jack.

"If I am correct, our friend is in grave danger," said Ydris. "We must warn her quickly."

The forest was dark as Zelda rode through it, but there were quite a few night noises to stop it from being truly eerie. Some birds and insects were awake now, and they sang at Zelda as she passed. Were she in a different mood, she would have relished in the way the creatures cheered her on. But her mind was set only on Justin.

So caught up was she that Zelda did not notice when the forest suddenly grew quiet. Nor did she hear the muffled screaming, or the thuds. She could only hear her own heartbeat.

But Phantom heard the strange noises. He slowed and then turned, trotting over to a cave that Zelda had ridden past many times before. Only usually, it was open. Now, though, there was a large boulder in the cave's entrance. Her heart pounded, and Zelda dismounted and walked over to the boulder. She put her hands to it, though she knew that she did not possess the required strength, and tried to push or pull the boulder away. This close, Zelda could hear something grunting and growling on the other side. She trembled, but set her feet into the ground and pushed with all her might.

The full moon above made things easy to see, and Zelda could clearly see when the rock moved enough to open up some of the entrance. Something appeared in the gap, something large and hairy, and Zelda gasped and stepped away.

"You shouldn't be here," a rough voice said from inside the cave. It did not have the desired effect, for Zelda grinned.

"Justin! You're here, what happened?" asked Zelda, trying again to push the boulder out of the way.

"No! You can't see me like this, it's too dangerous," said Justin. "I might kill you or hurt you, or worse."

"How could you do that?" asked Zelda. "You love me, and I love you. We're going to be married." She was confused, but maybe Justin was just struggling from being trapped.

"Because I'm-" Justin began, but then Zelda succeeded in rolling the boulder away, and there was the scraping, skittering sound of someone scrabbling away inside the cave. "No! Stay away, Zelda!"

"I won't," said Zelda, and stepped inside the cave. Her shadow blocked out the light, and she couldn't see anything for a while.

"No! I'm hideous, a monster!" Justin cried.

At that exact moment, Ydris skidded to a halt outside, an expression of dismay taking over his face.

"Oh no, we're too late," said Ydris.

"Z, don't!" Jack cried, taking a step towards his friend. Zelda turned around, fear immediately making a pit in her stomach at the looks of fear on her friends' faces.

"What is it? What's wrong?" asked Zelda.

"Justin has been infected," said Ydris. "It is a strange affliction, one that is not well-documented in any history books. However, I finally managed to find it in an ancient bestiary. Tell me, have your guards ever managed to track these new, large wolves back to their dens?"

"No," said Zelda. "They all lost the trail, or the thought of the wolves scared them off. Anyway, surely that is not important? If enough are... I am sorry, Jack, killed or scared away, they will stop coming to that area."

"There is a reason for that," said Ydris. "The wolves either jumped up a tree or up a cliff, or they simply turned back into their usual form."

"And what does that mean?" asked Zelda.

"Turn around and see," said Jack.

Zelda turned around, and, now that her eyes had adjusted to the gloom inside the cave, she covered her mouth with a hand in shock at what she saw.

On the far side of the cave, backed up against the wall and cringing away from her, was Justin. But he looked different. Fur burst out through ragged holes in the shirt that he'd worn to bed on that fateful night, and his hands and feet looked strange, too. His sleeping pants appeared to be stuffed with something, or perhaps his legs were grotesquely swollen. And there was something strange behind him, like a tail. She could not see his face, however.

"Justin?" asked Zelda. "What horrid fate has befallen you, my love?"

"I am a monster," said Justin. "You would do best to stay away from me. Find another knight to capture your heart. I will only hurt you."

"No, you won't," said Zelda, stepping closer to him despite the protests of her friends. She put her hands on his arms, and gently pulled his hands away from his face.

In the moonlight, Zelda could finally see Justin's face. He appeared to have grown a beard and sideburns, and his jaw appeared to have been broken. His nose, too, looked strange, and his eyebrows were shaggy and unkempt. But Zelda could still see his beautiful brown eyes, and the handsome face beneath all that mess.

"My love, what happened to you?" asked Zelda, touching his face and expecting him to wince. But Justin's face remained fearful.

"He was bitten by a werewolf," said Ydris. "That is what those large, vicious wolves plaguing Firgrove of late are. The full moon brought on his first change."

"And I ran away," said Justin. "I could not be around you, for I might hurt or even kill you. And I could not live with myself if I let any harm befall you. I understand if you do not wish to be with me anymore."

"Nonsense," said Zelda, taking his face in her hands and looking into his eyes. "I still love you, Justin. Nothing can change that. Even if you are a monster, as you say, we can deal with that. Even if I have to lock you in a cellar when the moon is full."

"How can I be a knight if I am a monster?" asked Justin, tears gathering in his eyes.

"Shh. You are not a monster," said Zelda.

"Actually, he is," said Ydris.

"Ydris, you are not helping," said Zelda. "I have found my love and it is okay. You may leave now."

"Come, Ydris, that was not a request," said Jack. "She is a big girl, she can look after herself." He walked away with his boyfriend, leaving Zelda alone in the cave with Justin.

"You should not be alone with me," said Justin. "I am cursed, I could kill you."

"You would never do that," said Zelda. "Do not say such things, my love. I love you. Our love is stronger than any curse."

"If only that were true," said Justin. "But I cannot trust myself."

"Justin, you ran away when you felt the change coming on," said Zelda. "You could have easily hurt or killed me then, but you didn't. You ran away, to keep me safe."

"It was the only clear thought I had that night," said Justin. "To run away, and lock myself away in order to keep you safe."

"Oh Justin, I was so worried," said Zelda, finally throwing her arms around him. He was very warm and fluffy. "I thought that something terrible had happened to you."

"It did," said Justin.

"I feared that a dragon or some other great wyrm had grabbed you," said Zelda. "And then, when I saw that Maxy was still there..."

"I tried to take him with me, but he was afraid," said Justin. "I understand why, now. I am hideous, a monster."

"You may be a monster, but you are not hideous," said Zelda. "We can deal with this until Ydris manages to find a cure. I am not giving up on you."

"My lady, you are far braver than I," said Justin. Zelda kissed his forehead, and a smile finally graced Justin's lips. She was braver than the bravest knight, truly.


End file.
